NBC fired "Today" show host Matt Lauer on Wednesday for what it called "inappropriate sexual behavior" and habitual misconduct with other women in his workplace. Lauer's termination is likely to significantly affect him financially, but he will not be penniless anytime soon.
According to reports, Lauer has an estimated net worth of $60 million. This is slightly lower than fellow host Bill O'Reilly's whose TV career also came to an embarrassing end for paying women to settle sexual harassment lawsuits against him. The former Fox host is reportedly worth $85 million, but there are reasons to believe that Lauer's net worth is much higher.
He signed a contract with NBC in 2012 that set his annual paycheck to $25 million, up from the $17 million yearly prior. This was followed by a $20 million agreement in 2014 and another deal of the same sum in 2016. Publications posit his worth easily tops $100 million, possibly even over $200 million.
Outside "Today," a small part of his net worth likely came from his other gigs like movie appearances. Other sources note he made cameos as himself on several projects including "Land of the Lost," "Sharknado 2: The Second one," and the NBC series "Will & Grace," although it is unclear if his involvement in some of these was really compensated.
Regardless, he has so far enjoyed a wealthy lifestyle. He and his wife Annette Lauer have bought and sold multiple properties in recent years. More recently, they bought Richard Gere's 12-bedroom waterfront mansion in the Hamptons for $36.5 million. Some of the couple's properties include a 40-acre horse-training facility called Bright Side Farm and a 25-acre estate in Sar Harbor, which is currently being sold for $14.9 million.
Following Laure's termination, Megyn Kelly is now the NBC's highest-paid TV host. The former Fox News anchor, who just joined the network this year, is reportedly earning $20-$23 million per year from her NBC gig alone.
